Vice journalist from Northampton arrested in Turkey on suspicion of ‘assisting Islamic State’

Callum Jones

A British journalist who has been arrested in Turkey charged with “working on behalf of a terrorist organisation” is from Northampton

Vice News correspondent Jake Hanrahan, a former Northampton College student, and cameraman Philip Pendlebury were arrested while filming in the south-east region of Diyarbakir on Thursday.

Jake Hanrahan's Twitter page was last updated on August 27.

The pair, who were filming clashes between police and youth members of the pro-Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), were charged on Monday, allegedly with “assisting Islamic State” (ISIS), and are due to stand trial in Turkey.

Mr Hanrahan’s employer Vice News has condemned the accusations as “baseless and false”.

Kevin Sutcliffe, Vice head of news programming in Europe, said: “Today the Turkish government has levelled baseless and alarmingly false charges of ‘working on behalf of a terrorist organisation’ against three Vice News reporters, in an attempt to intimidate and censor their coverage.

“Prior to being unjustly detained, these journalists were reporting and documenting the situation in the south-eastern Turkish province of Diyarbakir.

“Vice News condemns in the strongest possible terms the Turkish government’s attempts to silence our reporters who have been providing vital coverage from the region.

“We continue to work with all relevant authorities to expedite the safe release of our three colleagues and friends.”